Car coupler operating device



S- H.. CONWELL CAR COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Sept. 7 6, 1938,

Filed Jan. 23, 1937 fnuenfon Samuel H omue/f "'2'": AffcrneZD Patented Sept. 6, 1938 UNITED STATES OAR COUPLER OPERATING DEVICE Samuel H. Conwell, Chicago, Ill., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing Company, a corporation of Delaware Application January 23, 1937, Serial No. 121,918

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a device for operating a railway car coupler having a pivoted knuckle provided with a tail engageable with a knuckle lock to which such device is operatively connected. The invention relates specifically to a railway car coupler having an anti-creep feature which is so formed that the lock can be raised to an unlocked position by the operating device, but can not be raised by the creeping action of the lock due to the service movements of the car. Some of such couplers are provided with a lock lifter mounted upon the underside of the coupler head for transmitting operating movements to the lock.

The object of the invention is to provide an operating rod for such a coupler having means to adjust the vertical relation between the operating rod and the coupler lock lifter so that the lock lifter may be relieved of the weight of the operating rod when the operating rod is originally applied to the car and after the car has been in service, which adjustment may be necessary due to the settling of the car or partial failure of the coupler support.

In the drawing:

Figs. 1 and 2 show a typical application of my device to a railway car coupler.

Fig. 3 is an enlargement of the bracket and associated parts of the application shown in Figs.

1 and 2.

Figs. 4 and 5 show a modified construction.

The car coupler 5 is resiliently mounted on the car and arranged to move longitudinally and laterally of the car to accommodate the service movements thereof. For description of the operation and component parts of an ordinary coupler, reference is made to Patent No. 1,639,300 of August 16, 1927, which coupler is not only typical as showing the relation of the knuckle and the look, but also shows the lock lifter rotatably mounted on the coupler for transmitting the operating movements to the lock which comprises a substantially horizontally disposed eye for reception of a hook on the operating rod whereby rotation of the rod rotates the rotor member and operates the coupler.

In the form of my invention illustrated the operating device comprises a rod 2 rotatably attached to the rotor member 4 on the coupler 5 which rod extends to adjacent the side wall [2 of the car where a handle i3 is provided for easy operation, eliminating the necessity of trainmen going between the cars.

The operating rod 2 is supported adjacent the side wall of the car by a bracket 3 which is associated with the rod to provide means to adjust the vertical relation between the operating rod 2 and the lock lifter A on the coupler 5.

Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive show the bracket 3 having spaced apart walls 8-9 forming bearings posi- 5 tioned above (8) and below (9) the operating rod 2 so that normally the rod bears on the outer part of one wall and the lower part of the other wall and a set screw ill, or other means, is provided in one of these walls so that a screwing or 10 unscrewing of the set screw raises or lowers the member I I which supports the adjacent portion of the operating rod thereby altering the vertical relation between the operating rod 2 and the lock lifter 4. The rod is usually provided with a 16 handle l3.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the member 29 which supports the operating rod 2 is provided with a pivot 2| which protrudes through the bracket 22 and is rotatably held therein by the washer and nut 24. The member 20 is provided with a slot 25 concentric with the axis of the member 20 and a screw bolt 26 is provided so that after the member is rotated to the desired position the set screw rigidly attaches 25 the member to the bracket. The edge (or edges) of the slot is preferably provided with projections, as shown, to help resist the tendency of the member 20 to rotate about its axis. In this way the vertical relation between the operating rod and 30 lock lifter is adjusted.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described, as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim: 40

1. In a car coupler mechanism, a lock movable "with the coupler head, bottom lock operating means for transmitting operating movement to said lock including a lifter arm pivotally connected to the coupler head and operatively con- 45 nected to said look, a bracket adjacent the side of the car, an operating rod having one end operatively connected to said lifter arm so that rotation of said rod operates said mechanism and having the other end thereof entirely supported by said 50 bracket, and means to adjust the vertical relation between the operating rod and the lock lifter, said means comprising laterally spaced apart bearings on said bracket, said bearings being positioned above and below the operating rod with adjusting 55 means in one of said hearings to raise or lower adjacent portion of the operating rod, whereby the said lifter arm is relieved of any weight of the operating rod.

2. In combination with the outer end of a rotatable operating rod for a railway car coupler, a bracket mounted upon a car, and means to solely support said operating rod and to adjust the vertical relation between the operating rod and the bracket, said means comprising laterally spaced apart bearings on said bracket positioned above and below the rotatable operating rod respective- 1y with adjusting means in one of said bearings to raise or lower adjacent portion of the operating rod.

SAMUEL H. CONWELL. 

